


Kings of Limbo

by MerhppDerhpp



Category: Naruto
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Gen, Insert OC, No Uchiha Massacre, Psychopathology & Sociopathy, Reincarnation, Self-Insert
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-08-29
Updated: 2020-01-26
Packaged: 2020-09-29 12:48:18
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 4
Words: 9,285
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20436290
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MerhppDerhpp/pseuds/MerhppDerhpp
Summary: In her first life, she was bored. In her current life, she's still bored. Becoming a ninja, matriarch and co-founder of a village that was once fictional doesn't change that for long.Destroying the world would likely have the same result, but she kind of wants to do it, anyway.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> On FFN, this story is the third iteration of the first story I ever uploaded because I hate myself. Here, however, is a new beginning. So, in case you didn't know, I'd just like to say that I have no schedule because procrastination is my spirit animal and inspiration is my semi-absent father.

* * *

It really says something about the depths of her boredom when Kuroki feels genuinely excited to have finally recreated bubble tea and its damn tapioca pearls. One would think that it'd be easy, but it's been a while since she's been a four-year-old with tiny proportions and even her soul-ingrained talents can't compensate for everything.

"Why is the kitchen a mess?"

Turning towards the archway, Kuroki spots Kakashi in all his ten-year-old glory, his attention focused on the general mayhem that she's made of the kitchen. Hers is focused on the fact that, despite being in this previously fictional world for a millennium or so, she still occasionally thinks of people as edgelords.

That may have something to do with Ajin tampering with her memories, though.

"Reasons," Kuroki replies, turning back to her jug of bubble tea. It's the classic milk flavour since she knows nothing about how to make other flavours. She'll probably have to give the recipe to the Akimichi so they can experiment with it. "Want some?"

Kakashi wrinkles his nose from behind his mask and declines with, "I don't like sweet things," before skulking over to the fridge to scavenge.

No loss for her, then. It's a pain to have to crawl onto the island counter just to pour something into one glass with minimal spillage, let alone two. She probably should've made less since she doesn't know if it even tastes good, but it's too late, now.

Maybe Aonami will have some after she wakes up from her nap.

That reminds her; "Aonami made your favourites and put them in the microwave." Kuroki crosses her legs atop the island counter and begins to pour the tea into a glass. Kakashi closes the fridge and makes his way to the microwave, finding some bowls wrapped in aluminium foil waiting for him.

It takes a little more effort to get the tapioca pearls to fall into the glass, but she manages. Her arm is barely sore and that's enough to be considered a win for the time being. At the very least, her motor control will always be exceptional, regardless of age.

"Do you need me to put the rest in the fridge?"

Kuroki glances up as Kakashi sets down the food on an empty part of the counter and proceeds to stand before her like he's awaiting orders. It's odd to think that this solemn child is Sakumo's, but she supposes that the idiot killing himself might have something to do with it.

"Yeah, thanks. Can you get one of the large straws from the drawer as well?"

He bobs his head in acknowledgement, and she watches him as he grabs the jug and walks to the fridge. Sipping on her bubble tea, Kuroki thinks that it's actually pretty good. Luckily. Hopefully, the tapioca pearls aren't bad. She can't remember if she was supposed to soak them in honey or not. If she knew that life continued after death, she would've spent more time on YouTube for random knowledge.

"By the way," she starts as Kakashi hands her a straw and takes a seat. His head lifts, his shoulders tensing minutely as he waits for her to finish her thought. "Why did Sakumo kill himself?" She never did ask for the specifics, did she?

He tenses further, the shape of his mouth thinning out as his eyes avert from her.

Kuroki stirs her drink before taking a sip. The pearl she manages to suck up is soft rather than chewy like it's supposed to be, but it's not bland because of the honey, so this experiment could be called a partial success.

"When you died…" Kakashi's voice is unnaturally monotonous and he's staring blankly at his food. "He was made out to be a hero as propaganda. But tou-san hated that." She can hear the fabric from his gloves tightening. "He didn't want to take credit for something that you did. Something that you died for."

Ajin hisses from within her, denying her access to the emotions tied to Sakumo. It's for the best, she supposes. "He was always a bleeding heart," Kuroki murmurs, taking another sip of her tea. Something about that seems to agitate the kid. "He'd probably be conflicted if he were alive and knew that I was a child."

"Do you even care?" Kakashi looks at her with an accusatory gaze, but his voice only rises slightly. "He loved you so much that it destroyed him. Doesn't that make you feel something?"

Kuroki stares at him, silent and unblinking. He tries to match her, but his discomfort wins out and he turns away.

She stirs her tea again, the ice clinking together and filling the silence between them. Eventually, though, she says, "It would, if I hadn't died. But it's to the benefit of no one if I were to keep these attachments when I come back." Because even if she doesn't bond with people often, they accumulate over time and she's learned the consequences of letting that happen.

Kakashi doesn't seem satisfied with her answer, but that's not her problem. "Take me to his grave later," she suggests, anyway. She'd rather not have him sulk around her. "I'd like to see what obnoxious decorations are on his memorial plaque."

His shoulders finally relax. Half a minute later, he pulls down his mask and starts to eat.

. . .

* * *

. . .

Kuroi finds her while she's training on the private grounds, appearing on a nearby stump with the clan mask missing, leaving his eyes exposed while the lower half of his face is masked with cloth. Just like everyone else in the Ikisudama because they thought her paranoia with two masks was a good prerogative for the entire clan.

His eyes are dark, unlike hers, but the reflective layer differentiates his irises from the black sclera. They follow her as she continues with her katas.

He doesn't speak until she finishes, breaking the silence with, "Aonami's pregnant with twins." His voice is laced with a quiet joy that she's never been able to understand. Granted, she's never been a parent and she's content with never being one.

She's not even sure if she's capable of having children in the first place. Puberty is still an inconvenient aspect of all her lives, but she's long forgotten what it's like to have a period.

"Congratulations," Kuroki replies as she goes to grab her osoraku tantou. She does think it's a good thing that they'll actually have children and not just be the biological parents of their matriarch's new vessel. The last couple never truly got over that aspect and they both died before they could try again.

Kuroi blinks at her. Is there anything else that she's supposed to say? She's actually known for a while, but that doesn't seem like a necessary thing to share.

"That means you're going to be a sister," he says, clasping his hands together and leaning forward to rest his forearms on his thighs. "Kakashi's going to be a brother. Even if he doesn't think that he's part of the family."

It's her turn to blink at him. "What makes you think that I do?"

His brow twitches as he answers, "You're my daughter," as though that's supposed to have some sort of value. Even in her first life, being someone's daughter meant nothing and that hasn't changed a thousand years later.

"By technicalities," she retorts. "I'm glad that the two of you have been so amiable towards me for the past year, but I don't need a family and you're better off not treating me like I'm actually your child."

Kuroi frowns and he proves himself to be a better competitor at impromptu staring competitions than Kakashi. Still, he accepts defeat when he lowers his head and elicits a heavy sigh. "Fine," he acquiesces, running a hand through his hair and revealing the oval seal in the middle of his forehead. "Is that an order, Kuroki-_sama? _"

Snarky. She doesn't get why he's so adamant about the whole thing.

"It's a suggestion, Kuroi." Kuroki unsheathes her blade and experimentally channels her chakra through it. Black electricity, like always. Ajin's fault, but she's pretty sure the Raikage has black lightning, too. If the opportunity arises, she should see if that makes a difference for him. "If you decide to disregard it, just don't be disappointed if I don't care to listen to any parental teachings."

Just as she's about to cut off the chakra, Kuroi stands. "Spar with me?" he suggests. "As the patriarch to your matriarch, if not as your father."

Kuroki twirls the handle of her tantou. "You're going to annoy me about this, aren't you? Can't you just content yourself with being my friend or something?"

He blinks and tilts his head, as if that hasn't occurred to him before. He asks, "That's an option?" and she realises that he really didn't consider it. Then again, she's not exactly the most sociable of people and everyone knows that. Her clan, especially.

She shrugs. "Better than a father I don't need," Kuroki answers. "I have a lot of experience raising myself and I don't appreciate people butting into my affairs."

"Even from your first life?"

Ajin hums, letting the memories flash by. "Yeah. I committed patricide so I didn't have much of a choice." She smiles when Kuroi's eyes narrow. In a world that cultivates murder as a viable career, one would think he'd be unfazed by the idea of a kid killing someone. Or maybe it's the patricide bit. It wasn't the smartest choice considering he paid the bills, but she was eight and it didn't occur to her since she was about to be murdered.

Either way, it's not enough to stop him from saying, "Friends, then." Even with the mask on, she can tell he's smiling. "But I won't blame you if you start to love us in the future. Aonami has a talent for being loveable."

She hopes not. Kuroki's never reacted well to losing people she cares about.

. . .

* * *

. . .

Kuroki wasn't expecting to babysit a two-year-old Itachi while Aonami pushes out the twins, but here she is, sitting next to a two-year-old Itachi in the loungeroom while Kuroi and Mikoto help their wife and best friend give birth at the hospital. Kakashi would be here as well if he weren't currently on a war mission to help out Suna's fight with Kiri.

Probably better for him, actually. He'd be far more anxious here than wherever he is, now.

"Kuroki."

At the sound of her name, she turns towards Itachi, who's looking up at her with some kind of childish wonder in his eyes. He still hasn't let go of her hand and it's been forty minutes, so it's safe to say that he likes her. For some reason. Most children disdain being near her even if she's not doing anything. Perhaps her 'fuck off' aura is too strong.

Or she's just creepy, which wouldn't be inaccurate. The Ikisudama as a whole look and feel rather shady to most, but it's been stated before that she seems especially so.

"That's me."

He smiles, all bright and joyful. She thinks Fugaku decides to mentally scar him at some point. Will he still be able to smile like that when he awakens the Sharingan? Ah, well. For now, he's content with reaching up to trace the black lines that mar her cheeks.

Why the clan markings are just black versions of Ulquiorra's aesthetic, she doesn't know. The genetic evolution that chakra influences is weird and she still doesn't properly understand it even after tinkering with it for centuries.

"Tears?" Itachi queries. Very calm and quiet for a natural toddler. Kakashi was the same, she remembers, but he frowned a lot more. Sakumo thought it was adorable and she supposes that she was inclined to agree.

Kuroki shifts so that she's facing him better. "Aside from uncontrollable situations like extreme physical pain, there's no reason to cry," she tells him. Perhaps as a means to an end, but she's never given much care to emotional manipulation. Her brothers preferred it and that's probably why the concept is tiring to even think about. "Why would they represent tears when I'm not repressing some sort of deep trauma that saddens me?"

Itachi blinks, gaze lowering to the junction of her neck as he thinks. She waits. A minute later, he looks back up and suggests, "Maybe… others."

She stares at him. "Others?" He nods. "You mean my clan members?" He nods again. Kuroki considers it. In that case, it would make sense. They're not like her, after all. The first members were just ordinary people with ordinary emotions; it wouldn't be odd for them and their descendants to have an influence on how the clan markings formed. "I hadn't thought of that."

"Kuroki not feel sad?"

Her response is, "Not often. My emotions are dysregulated compared to most, I've learned." His face scrunches up with incomprehension. Right. "They're not typical," she amends. "Some might say in a bad way, but this is all I've known and I'd rather not deal with the mess that comes with being like the rest of you."

If she did have to, then it's likely that her suicide count would be much higher and the chronic boredom would be replaced with chronic depression.

It's hard to say which sounds worse.

. . .

* * *

. . .

The urge is always there, in the back of her head. A thousand years of living and dying and living again gets boring and boredom has always been a problem of hers.

Ajin brought her into this world because he was bored. She made the Ikisudama, evolved them, allied them with the Uchiha and had them become co-founders of Konohagakure because she was bored. She helped with the industrialisation of the village, with the wars it participated in and the underground dealings that it initiated because she was bored.

Sometimes, she ponders on whether or not she should endeavour to destroy everything she's helped create just because she can. If that might stave it away for a while.

It won't. Nothing keeps it away for long. But the urge remains, regardless.

Kuroki wonders when she'll give into it.

She wonders what exactly will push her over the edge and how much fun she'll have while falling.


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello. Thanks for the kudos, bookmarks and subcribers(?). I bring you the second chapter. Forgive me if I proceed to die for the next six months.

The twins are called Kuroda and Kuroto. One of them has green eyes like Aonami while other has amber that might darken to Kuroi's shade in the future. Kuroki doesn't know which one is which yet, but the interesting thing about them is that they both seem to have inherited a kekkei genkai from Aonami's side.

Ajin whispers, **"Ice,"** and shows her a brief flash of a Yuki entering their name into the clan registry with their partner because he knows that she wouldn't remember such a small detail.

It clearly missed Aonami's generation since the way her chakra has formed is typical for an Ikisudama; disproportionately more spiritual energy than physical because of her bonded spirit. The spectres up in Limbo find something inherently unpleasant about the anomalous DNA, making them incompatible with those in possession of any. Kuroki's not entirely sure why that is, although she can understand the idea that a kekkei genkai adds a strange feeling to one's chakra. It's hard to describe the sensation accurately, but while it just feels weird to her, it may be unbearable for the spirits.

Unfortunately ̶or fortunately, who knows ̶this means that the twins will miss out on their own spirits and become vulnerable to genjutsu without them, but, in return, they'll be able to use genjutsu and execute long-ranged ninjutsu. Nintaijutsu is a staple to the fighting style of the Ikisudama nowadays, but it was honestly just a workaround since imbalanced energies make it hard to maintain the chakra flow needed for proper ninjutsu. And genjutsu immunity in exchange for the ability to use it was more of a happy accident than anything planned.

"Kakashi and Kuroi are back," Kuroki reveals as their signatures enters her sensing range. They're both headed for the Hokage's office for mission reports, though, so it'll be a while before they make an actual appearance.

Itachi doesn't seem to care, his attention taken by the twin in her arms, while Mikoto readjusts her grip on the other one so she can open the kitchen window. "Do you think Kakashi-kun will want to sleep or eat something first, Kuroki-sama?" she asks, her tone purposefully respectful because she seems to care more about Kuroki's position than Kuroi and Aonami do. Although, it could just be the fact that her presence is unnerving. It's likely both.

"He'll crash before anything." He's typically always covered in dirt and blood when he returns, but that doesn't stop him just faceplanting his bed to forget the world for a few hours.

She can't blame him. Wars are tiring to deal with and Kuroki honestly doesn't want to fuck with another one. She participated in the first two and even died in the second simply because it would've annoyed her if the team she put effort into rescuing got annihilated ten minutes later.

"Does Kuroki sleep?"

Kuroki glances to her left, where Itachi's curious face greets her. One of his hands is held by a smaller one, and it makes her wonder if he's going to be as obsessive about the twins as he will be with Sasuke. Although, she supposes it doesn't matter as long as he doesn't attempt to massacre his clan. The Uchiha and the Ikisudama are essentially one giant clan at this point, so killing one half would mean needing to kill the other and that's just not acceptable. Only she has the right to destroy her clan.

"Sometimes," she answers as Mikoto disappears down the hall, probably to check on Aonami and see if she's up to living for a while. She's not. "Ikisudama passively use chakra to heal faster and that can temporarily replace the need for sleep." It isn't recommended, obviously, since staying awake for too long constantly drains chakra even if it isn't being used actively. It's also not as impressive as it sounds if she were to compare it to a jinchuuriki's regeneration speed and effectiveness.

In the beginning, Kuroki figured that such a function was standard amongst everyone, but it turns out she was wrong. It makes sense, she thinks, since not everyone has large chakra reserves to burn through. If it was, more people would likely die from insomnia or something else along that scale.

Itachi blinks at her, a certain gleam appearing in his eyes as he absorbs the information. "Can the Uchiha do the same?" he asks next, subconsciously shuffling closer while still being mindful of Kuroda. Or Kuroto. She'll figure it out when their signatures begin to differentiate or when one of their parents tells her.

Kuroki stares down at the sleeping newborn as she responds, "If they have strong Ikisudama genes." Which isn't uncommon since the two clans intermarry often. It's usually a fifty-fifty chance for the offspring of these marriages to either awaken the Sharingan or bond with a spirit. Whichever happens first dictates what their surname will be.

At one point, she wanted to try creating a few with both and reducing the rate of photophobia manifesting in her members, but when Izuna expressed a suspiciously strong interest as well, she decided to not pursue the thought. Half out of spite and half out of cautiousness. He never liked her, presumably because she became close friends with Madara after saving one of his other brothers on a whim.

**"Still alive,"** Ajin murmurs, which is curious.

Madara died in the Second World War after fucking Iwa up to the point that they're now barely a village, so there's a chance that Izuna has replaced his role in canon. It's hard to say when Ajin's very existence means that this version of the Naruto universe was different from canon even before she was reborn as a black, humanoid mass of chakra.

"Alright," Kuroki says, just as Itachi opens his mouth to ask something else. "I have an urge for carbonara." Because, somehow, remembering herself as a female version of Zetsu ̶who still hasn't sought her out, surprisingly ̶makes her hungry. She moves to stand, prompting him to move out of her way before dutifully mimicking her. When she looks over her shoulder, she finds him waiting patiently by her side "Want some, too?"

He nods, toddling after her and offering to help with the preparations since she still has a baby in her arms. Thoughtful, but it might be better to ask for Aonami or Mikoto's help since two toddlers and an infant trying to cook would be a rough time.

Itachi checks on Kuroda or Kuroto before asking, "What's carbonara?"

"Pasta." Italian pasta, specifically, but no one's likely to know what that means. Even if Western dishes are already existent in this world, she doubts they have the same names. If they do, then they don't really understand why they're called that. In the end, though, what does it really matter? "We're going to have to find some equivalent to guanciale as well."

"What's that?"

"A type of cured meat."

And as she proceeds to spend the next hour or so answering more questions about anything and everything, Kuroki wonders if all her interactions with Itachi are going to be like this.

. . .

* * *

. . .

It isn't bad, existing as a part of Kuroi's family. What she said to him before was true; she doesn't need a family and he'd be better off not treating her as a part of his, but she was never all that opposed to the idea since getting worked up over it would be pointless. But now, he seems to understand that, as long as he doesn't act like he has a say in what she does with her time, they won't have a problem.

"Don't the three of you want to eat at the table instead of on the island counter?" Kuroi questions from the dining table where he, Mikoto and Aonami are. The last of them looks dead inside and is probably dreading the moment the twins wake up again. They're generally quiet and oddly unbothered by Kuroki's presence ̶either this generation is abnormal or she's losing her edge ̶but they're still spawnlings.

Kakashi makes a slight sound of protest since he's sitting _at_ the counter and not on it. He, too, looks internally deceased but that's his default appearance. If there's anything noticeably different, it's that his hair is somehow wilder than usual. It should be relatively underwhelming because it's damp from his shower and yet it defies expectations. Sakumo's hair was the same.

Twirling some of the pasta around her fork, Kuroki asks back, "Do you want me to sit on the table?"

A smirk twitches onto Kuroi's face. "Yes, actually."

"Too bad." She eats the pasta and then helps Itachi with the fork twirling. He's not doing too bad but the noodles keep slipping off and she can feel his patience waning. "I don't want to move." Mikoto's breath of relief is impressively subtle, but the Ikisudama have sharp ears. It hasn't escaped her notice that she's inadvertently made them rather catlike.

Kuroi leans back and doesn't push it. Instead, he changes the subject by inquiring, "When are you going to leave the District?" and it's a good question.

She still hasn't bothered with exploring the rest of the village and it's been more than a year. While the main reason is because she just wants to chill, a more acceptable reason is because leaving the District will put her back on the proverbial radar. Danzou and Orochimaru jumping on her tail is fine since she has plans to see them, anyway, but Hiruzen will be rather bemused as to why the faces of Konoha's underground operations are seeking out the new Ikisudama matriarch.

Most see the existence of a matriarch always called Kuroki as an elusive clan tradition that they shouldn't question. Even the Uchiha are largely ignorant about her capabilities. So, obviously, there'd be something suspicious about these two important figures associating with their deceased comrade's successor when she's supposed to be just a child. A potentially talented child with associations to an old friend, maybe, but a child, nonetheless.

Still, Kuroki answers with, "Soon," because Danzou's the one who'll have to deal with that bullshit while she uses his operatives for exotic grocery shopping.

. . .

* * *

. . .

Kuroki makes her way to the Kuroki Shrine that is, of course, occupied by a large, imposingly black tree in the middle of the building because the name itself wasn't symbolic enough. The first few generations of the clan built it for her out of gratitude once a fair amount survived getting violently infused with her and Ajin's chakra while the rest died from chakra poisoning. For a while after that, they treated her as more of a god than a simple leader when noticeable changes began to happen.

She had to abolish that sort of ideology when they started seeking revenge for her whenever she died, leaving the clan with fewer members over the generations because their abilities didn't match up to their zealous antics. At one point, the clan only had about twelve living members left when she was reborn.

Now, they treat her with the respect that a reincarnating founder deserves, but they usually go about their lives and bother the current patriarch if they have clan concerns. Since Kuroki can't fuck with responsibility too much because it aggravates her inner anarchist, the obvious remedy was to give it to someone else. So, it's enough that they leave her alone but follow her lead whenever she does decide to use her authority.

Well, she supposes it helps knowing that she can easily kill them by destroying the bond they have with their respective spirits at any time. In truth, Ajin's the one who does that. Being in Limbo allows him to find anyone on earth by pinpointing their chakra signature, and bonded spirits only make the search easier, so all he really needs is her say-so.

To everyone else, however, that power is hers and there's no need to tell them otherwise. Fear tends to help keep people in line, even if it's never been much of an obstacle for her since she can't feel it properly. Not exactly a good thing, she learned early, as that often led her into dangerous situations that rarely ended in her favour. But even though she knows that, she still has a habit of walking into said dangerous situations just because.

"Kuroki-sama," an androgynous but notably deep voice calls just as she passes the torii gates and the shrine barrier slides off her form. Its owner stands halfway to the entrance doors, looking only slightly older than the last time she remembers seeing him.

"Kurono," Kuroki returns as she walks past him. He naturally falls into step, which is rather slow since the vast difference in leg length. "Last time we met, we were the same age, weren't we?" If she hadn't died, she'd be forty-eight. As it is, forty-one is probably the longest she's lived so far. Or in a while, anyway. She doesn't keep track.

"And now you're my granddaughter." It's subtle, but there's a smile in his tone. "I was of the opinion that I was going to die long before you, you know." An odd opinion to have, considering the times she told him of her most short-lived experiences. Once, she even died before her psyche could reawaken because the mindless toddler brain of her new body thought it was a good idea to jump off a cliff.

Kuroki touches the entrance doors and waits for them to open wide enough for her to slip through. It doesn't take long since she's tiny. "You're not dead yet," she replies as he follows her down the unnecessarily large hall. "You've could've waited to make Kuroi the patriarch."

Glancing at Kurono, she sees him dip his head. "I became the patriarch at twenty, so I thought it'd fit if he did, too." Another odd opinion. Kuroki was born around that time, so it would've been stressful for Kuroi and Aonami.

"You just didn't want the responsibility anymore." She would've done the same in his position.

"That, too," he readily admits. They finally get to the end of the hall, where a line of masks of varying sizes hang on the wall. They look pristine despite all the shit they've been through, luckily. She needs to wear them before she finally ventures outside of the Uchiha-Ikisudama District. "I can't just create a new type of leader position like you did, so I had to sacrifice my son."

That brings a smile to her face as she grabs one of the smaller masks and puts it on. Immediately, it attaches to her face and the lens shift to adjust to the dim lighting.

Kuroki tests her voice with a few experimental phrases and is rewarded with a familiar androgyny. She turns to face Kurono, who's donning his own mask, and despite all the flourishes with her masks being kept in a shrine, they're the same. The universal design for all the Ikisudama is simply the clan markings ̶black lines down the cheeks and the oval seal on the forehead ̶with sharp eyehole shapes on a white canvas. Hers is no different.

Although, one might argue that hers have an ominous aura as a result of her chakra seeping into them over the years.

"So, did you find me just to say hi or did you want to go have a drink?"

Kurono tilts his head. "You're four," he reminds her.

"I know," Kuroki replies, and that's apparently enough of a justification for him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope the expositions made sense. Also, my beta and I have been going through the wiki and we've remembered that canon is full of bullshit. And it hurts.
> 
> Reviews are love. Reviews are life. It's never ogre. Thank you for reading.


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello. I only died for about three months instead of the estimated six, so there's that, at least. We'll see how it goes for the next chapter.

There's an area not far from the Uchiha-Ikisudama district that's tailored more for ninja rather than civilians. Further into that area, there's a restaurant called Kakusareta Foods that can only be accessed by those who can see through the genjutsu surrounding it. Inside, it has private booths to soothe the extra paranoid mercenaries into removing their masks to eat; which means that it was obviously made specifically for Ikisudama to dine with close friends outside of the Uchiha.

It's a weird trend. Her clans' eyes are built like felines, so they function better in low light conditions but are more sensitive in high light conditions. The lens in the masks help with better functionality during the day and to prevent damage, but aside from that and the voice modulation for anonymity, there's not much of a reason for them. There are contact lenses or glasses that do the same thing, although they tend to make the Ikisudama look like alternate versions of the Aburame since both clans wear hooded coats.

The main reason Kuroki herself wears masks is because her face stays the same throughout all her lifetimes. While it wouldn't worry her if someone unexpected found out, it's not that hard to have some measure of caution.

So, of course, she had this restaurant made to suit her particular needs and one of those needs includes employing the Akimichi to make quality food. And as fun as it would be to turn up at the Akimichi compound to randomly give them suspicious recipes, it's more convenient to give said recipes to her loyal employees who'll accept them without apprehensive questions.

Which is why Kuroki can now enjoy bubble tea with chewy tapioca pearls when Orochimaru shows up at the restaurant, his chakra vibrating with anticipation and excitement. It spikes when he enters the booth she's occupying and they make eye contact. She contemplates slurping just to add an air of absurdity to the situation, but ultimately decides against it.

"Hey," she greets, her eyes following him as he makes the deliberate decision of sitting right by her since she's using the table as a seat again. As he looms over her, she grabs a lock of his hair to see if it still feels as silky as it looks. It does. "I ordered egg waffles for us."

Orochimaru smirks, which is a rather mild showing of his inner glee. "More obscure recipes?"

Swallowing the pearl in her mouth, Kuroki answers, "Yeah. Food seems to be my focus for this lifetime. I'm bored of wars." If the fourth one is still destined in the future, then she probably won't have a choice but to participate in that one.

Unless she decides to just step back and see what happens. That's a valid option.

"Oh, I missed you, Kuroki," he chuckles, leaning back to adjust into a more comfortable position. "Danzou doesn't exactly make for good company." His eyes are intent upon her, likely imprinting the image of her into his head to solidify the fact that she's alive again.

He didn't know about her ability to reincarnate until she cryptically told him that she'd be back, one way or another, just before leaving for the rescue mission with Sakumo.

But even before that, he's always gravitated towards her. Perhaps it was because he identified with her as a child, seeing her existence as one of the most prominent figures in Konoha as something to aspire to. People like Hashirama or Sakumo or even Madara have an aura of noble heroism surrounding them, but Kuroki's always been conspicuously aloof. That would be encouraging for a child like him, she thinks. If she could become acknowledged and respected despite her demeanour, why couldn't he?

The difference between them, however, is that Orochimaru possesses a certain sadism that she doesn't. It's true that she often has cruel impulses, but they rarely provide any sort of satisfaction if she ever decides to indulge them. In a way, Kuroki might say that she envies Orochimaru for his capability to feel something positive from exhibiting his vicious tendencies.

"Don't you visit Tsunade, if not Jiraiya?"

Granted, the latter is often off doing spy work and he usually doesn't stay too long when he returns. Tsunade, though, is essentially confined to Konoha since she tried to leave after her lover died and Konoha retaliated by saying that her actions would be considered treason if she went through with it. Hiruzen didn't want that outcome because he's a soft-hearted guppy at the worst of times, but Madara was insistent and getting punched in the face by him doesn't feel great.

Orochimaru raises a brow at her and replies, "Tsunade holes herself up in the hospital most days, trying to do productive things in order to stave away the grief and depression. She doesn't always succeed." His tone is a mix of mild disgust and annoyance, as if he's offended that his lifelong teammate has been reduced to such a state.

She'd probably feel the same if Sakumo were alive but still depressed and suicidal.

"That's a shame." Watching the people one cares about waste away is never a fun time, and even Orochimaru isn't completely heartless.

Not yet, at least. Who knows if that might change in the future for the both of them.

. . .

* * *

. . .

It's actually a little surreal, eating egg waffles and drinking bubble tea with Orochimaru. Watching him drink the tea ̶his has to be warm because he doesn't like cold foods, beverages or otherwise ̶makes her feel as though she's just watching an extremely talented Orochimaru cosplayer take a lunch break.

The thought makes her burst into laughter and the childish sound that escapes catches him off guard.

"Something amusing?" he asks a moment before he sips on the straw, one brow raised slightly as a lock of hair slips over his shoulder. Is he trying to fuck with her?

Nonetheless, Kuroki finds herself smiling at him. "You're fabulous." She means it. Right now, he doesn't look like a sickly snake man with hollow cheeks and an obscure fashion sense. The creep factor and questionable intentions towards children, however, are still ever-present. It'll never be sexual, at least. He's as disinterested in sex as she is, regardless of age or gender or any other important factors, so there's that to be assured of. The often fatal experimentations is likely to be considered just as worse, though.

"But Kuroki-chan as a child is more fabulous," Orochimaru coos, his voice purposefully grating on her sensitive ears. It's enough to make her suck up a pearl and spit it at him. It's aimed at his left eye, but his tongue darts out and smacks it back towards her.

While the thought of eating the impromptu projectile enters her mind, another part convinces her to just dodge it with a tilt of her head. There's just something a little off about eating something Orochimaru's tongue has touched while it's all long and used like a wet limb.

And there's the fact that it's always coated in poison. The type changes on occasion, so it's best not to risk it. The time it takes before a compatible body is born can vary between a few years or a few decades, and now wouldn't be a good time to die.

It'd also be lame to die via a poisoned tapioca pearl. Not the lamest, but he'd hold it over her for eternity if he actually manages to achieve it.

. . .

* * *

. . .

It's been a while since Kuroki's looked over the village on the Hokage Rock, so she goes there with Orochimaru to take in all the progress that's been done on Konoha. There's a part of her that wonders what it would look like if she were to destroy said progress, but Kurama is going to do some damage once Naruto's born, so she'll eventually find out without having to do anything.

Although, there are still some Senju members hanging about, so that might have some kind of influence. It was a thing in canon where Hashirama was the only one to ever naturally have the Mokuton, hence all the obsessive DNA theft and faces on body parts that shouldn't have faces. But here ̶and possibly in canon, too, but they basically died off for no particular reason, so it's forever a mystery ̶the Mokuton is a rare kekkei genkai that only one or two members of the Senju clan possess, and their proficiency with it isn't as great as Hashirama's was.

Still, she can assume that their mere existence means there's a chance for less casualties to occur if they're able to utilise the Mokuton to the point of suppressing Kurama's chakra.

"You have no plans on visiting Danzou today, do you, Kuroki-chan?" Orochimaru theorises, amused as they sit on Hashirama's rock head. It's smooth, unlike the other Hokage heads. "Coming here instead of going to his lair is all just to taunt him to you."

"Pretty much."

When they were younger and had just become a team under Madara, Danzou stated that he had no use for friends; that he didn't want to be leaned on or to lean on anyone else. Madara told him that was fucking stupid and purposefully put him in multiple situations where he _had_ to rely on her and Kagami if he wanted to get out alive in retaliation for the stupidity. It worked eventually, although he hid his care behind a cold exterior because emotions are evidently a hindrance. She thinks he might count as a kuudere, but she can't really remember what that actually means.

Then, when Kagami died, his death seemed to trigger Danzou's clingy tendencies and Kuroki inevitably became the target of said tendencies. It wasn't overt, but it was definitely noticeable enough for her to find it odd. He'd get his ROOT operatives to follow her places, which made her think it was because he was becoming warped enough to contemplate offing her, but it turned out that he just wanted to keep an eye on her for her own safety.

She told him that was fucking stupid. Not that it wasn't appreciated, but in comparison to a long-time friend planning on assassinating her out of some misguided notion, a reason like being concerned for her wellbeing was rather lame. He obviously got miffed, tried to be intimidating, failed, called off the ROOT babysitting and then undoubtedly had it reported back to him that she died on the one mission where he wasn't keeping tabs on her.

Thinking about it makes her smile. Kuroki knows that he'll be offended again and seek her out despite how suspicious it'll be because Hiruzen actually keeps tabs on his movements. Maybe it's because of her, but the rivalry that they had in canon ̶she thinks they had it, anyway ̶doesn't seem to be much of an important thing, so Hiruzen has a healthy apprehension of the underground even if he does mostly trust Danzou. It's understandable, since the underground is mainly comprised of people who don't really give off pleasant vibes even if they're not scheming the downfall of the village or something.

"How long do you think he'll be able to stay away for?" queries Orochimaru while Kuroki entertains the thought of trying to throw a rock at Kakashi, who's in one of the training grounds with his team. She probably shouldn't, since her tiny arms wouldn't be able to achieve enough force to reach him. It's more likely that it'd fall short and hit a civilian who would most definitely die on impact.

Turning to Orochimaru, she decides to distract herself by braiding his luscious hair as it billows in the wind. He lets her. Maybe she should try giving him space buns. He'd look much more aesthetic than she thinks he should, that's for sure. It makes her want to find glitter just so she can dump it all in his hair.

"Maybe a week or two," Kuroki estimates. "If I stay in the District long enough, he'll probably formally visit."

Orochimaru tuts. "Kuroki-chan. You know that's not as suspicious as coming out of the shadows in the middle of the night while you're about the streets."

"True," she agrees. Kurono would be up for drinks again, so she could use that as an excuse. Or she could do something dubious with Orochimaru. "Are you going to keep calling me Kuroki-chan?" It sounds creepy when he says it since it's laced with a type of affection that's borderline obsessive, though that might be the point.

He hums in confirmation, glancing at her from over his shoulder. "It's only appropriate when you're now an adorable child. Don't you think so, Kuroki-chan?"

"No, but you do you, I guess." As long as he doesn't resort to using pet names, then she can deal with it. Any thoughts of experimentation, on the other hand, are still under consideration.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> These chapters are kind of chill as I work on worldbuilding, so I don't know when/if there will be exciting things in the near future. I guess it's safe to say things are fairly 'slice of life,' at the moment.
> 
> Reviews are love. Reviews are life. It's never ogre. Thank you for reading.


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm back at it again with the gradual worldbuilding.

In order to effectively bait out Danzou, Kuroki manages to rope Kakashi into parading her around. She takes advantage of this by riding on his shoulder and playing with his hair while he resigns himself to suffering. There was some consideration towards adding Obito, but then she would be suffering as well and she'd like to avoid that.

Not that she has any strong feelings about him ̶although, she does wonder if he'll get fucked over by a boulder in the near future ̶but exuberant people tend to mesh badly with her since they're usually the most put off by her detached disposition. It's most likely why she's partial to Itachi and Kakashi, the prodigious outliers; they aren't as bothered. Granted, the latter is bothered by her in general but he's resigned to dealing with the inconvenience.

She's not nice enough to not take advantage of that.

"Your hair is fluffy," Kuroki muses, taking in the familiar texture. "Sakumo's was fluffy, too. Do you think it's a shame that you didn't inherit anything from your mother?" Well, aside from the beauty mark near his mouth that he got from her. Other than that, he's a complete clone of Sakumo, although she's only seen pictures of his younger self since they met when he was nineteen. She would've been twenty.

She feels Kakashi's shoulders tense, but he continues walking in a leisurely manner. Understandable. There're lots of eyes around at the moment. "Why would I?" he retorts, his tone laced with impatience since he's aware of her purposeful prodding. "Didn't she leave the moment I was born?"

"Basically. Sakumo got mad drunk at a party in Kusagakure and impregnated one of the prostitutes working there."

He did it out of drunken spite when she displayed no qualms about someone else coming onto him and immediately regretted it the morning after like dipshit he was. And because he was a dipshit who seemed to enjoy wallowing in his own misery, he was guilt-ridden for weeks because something about the situation had an aspect of betrayal that she couldn't comprehend well. (If he had truly betrayed her, she'd have just killed him.) The prostitute ̶Kokumatsu, which literally means grain or something ̶getting pregnant just made things more dramatic since they had to bring her back to Konoha for a while.

Honestly, Kuroki thought the entire thing was a chore. It's how she usually feels when she's trying to understand people's motivations and the complexities of their emotions. Cognitive empathy can only get her so far without affective empathy, and the latter's always been fairly beyond her even though she can sense other's feelings via their chakra. It didn't help that Sakumo wouldn't communicate with her in a concise fashion, either. Although, she admits that she was also at fault since she had inklings but was curious to see if he'd actually spit it out at some point, so she remained silent and nonchalant because either dynamic was fine with her.

Too bad for him that he only mustered up the courage to do anything because she was literally about to die, which was obviously too late.

Kakashi's chakra fluctuates. It takes her a moment to realise that he's upset at the revelation of being an accident made by two virtual strangers where one of them was literally just doing her job.

"That's upsetting?" she queries, rolling some of his hair between her fingers. "Sakumo loved you." Her father couldn't manage that, but it was obviously never going to be a thing when her and her brothers were always meant to just be a source of income. Probably a good thing since she's seen how easy it is to manipulate people with the concept of love. Who knows how different things would be if she and her brothers were deluded by false acts of affection?

More turbulent emotions ripple through Kakashi's chakra. "Not enough to stay alive," he hisses, his tone a mix of resentment and longing for the parent who left him behind. The one he knew, anyway.

"True," she agrees. He makes an abrupt turn, startling someone nearby with his sharp movements. Wrong response, she supposes. "People tend to get lost in their heads, though. The guilt and grief would've been so overwhelming that nothing else registered." And perhaps, in his mind, he only saw himself as a burden to Kakashi, who needed a parental figure that wasn't a mess. Sakumo already knew that her clan would take care of Kakashi if anything happened to him, so it's not to imagine him weighing the pros and cons of his own death like this.

He was an idiot to the end.

. . .

* * *

. . .

Konoha has a large mausoleum that holds the memorial plaques of fallen heroes within it, so she and Kakashi have gone to visit it since she's finally out and about. Sakumo's plaque is there, too, obviously, though she's sure he'd hate the very idea of it. Luckily for him, he was cremated like most people are and doesn't have to actually rest in a place he deems himself to be unworthy of.

Cremation was something she had to implement early on since grave robbing was and is a genuine concern where people can utilise the DNA of unique individuals. Understandably, most people didn't want the remains of their loved ones to be desecrated like that, so it wasn't a difficult thing to implement. It also led to people thinking of it as another interpretation of the 'Will of Fire' where the fire that burns their corpse is the visual representation of their will, so deceased figures of importance often have unnecessarily large bonfires.

Some people, though, opt to preserve their bodies after death so that they can be used as research for the betterment of the village. Of course, this was so any shady experimentations done by the underground to citizens ̶ dead ones, at least; there's another thing for living ones ̶ of Konoha were legal.

"Oh, look, there we are."

Kakashi stops before the two memorial plaques that have been purposefully placed next to one another. Both have portrait photographs, with the left one being a picture of Sakumo gently smiling at the camera while the right looks much shadier with Kuroki's masked face and hooded appearance. Most pictures in the mausoleum are of the people's most recent ninja registration photos, so they're not particularly fancy.

Masks aren't really recommended for pictures but exceptions are made for Ikisudama because everyone knows how pissy clans get when their traditions are challenged. ANBU, though, have a whole thing where their masks are displayed on one of the walls of the mausoleum when they're KIA. If the masks can't be retrieved, they just create a copy and hang it up. Even if there might be the multiple masks of the same animal, all the designs are unique to show that they're not simply replaceable.

Most people find that wall unsettling. She likes it. They deserve to be remembered.

"I knew those peasants would go with lame, fang-themed tributes," Kuroki comments as she looks at all the ̶mostly white, because symbolism ̶shit on Sakumo's shelf. There's even vase of white flowers that vaguely resemble fangs, although she can't remember the name of them. Probably a Yamanaka's offering.

In comparison, her shelf is rather minimalist with an incense burner, two unlit incense sticks, a single daffodil and a small bonsai tree. It's unique in that the wood is black and contrasts the bright hue of the cherry blossoms. If that doesn't scream 'symbolism,' then she doesn't know what does.

"They knew, didn't they?" Kakashi asks. Kuroki elicits a questioning hum, prompting him to elaborate. "That it was your accomplishment instead of tou-san's."

"I'd assume so," she replies as he stiffly moves to light the incense sticks on his father's shelf. "It wouldn't be hard to figure that out, especially since a whole squad returned alive. Sakumo's devastation would also make it easy, but it didn't matter if our ninja knew the truth. They just needed everyone else, including our civilians, to think it was him." If she thinks about it, she supposes that they probably minimised her role by saying that she wasn't involved in the mission at all.

Kakashi exhales in mild annoyance ̶for some reason ̶before he surprisingly lights the incense on her shelf as well. "I guess the fact that your glory was taken by tou-san and that it eventually led to his death doesn't bother you," he snarks. "You were even deemed MIA on a separate mission so tou-san's grief would make sense."

All the incense in here are purposefully plain, but there's always something unique about the simple experience of smelling it. She can't really describe it well, though.

"You're learning," she praises, condescending enough to vex him even if slightly. He makes it too easy. "But yeah, I don't give a shit about glory. I'd be annoyed if my attachment to Sakumo stuck around because of the effect it had on him, but the person who proposed the whole idea probably knew that I wouldn't care by the time I came back."

It wouldn't be a surprise if it turns out that Danzou was responsible for it all. He never was overly fond of Sakumo. It's going to make her do something drastic in retaliation, even if she's wrong. Pissing him off has always been the goal, anyway, so she might as well.

. . .

* * *

. . .

"I think I might go on a trip soon," Kuroki muses while Kakashi carries their groceries. She plans on having Greek lamb with orzo for dinner, which should take about two and a half hours to prepare. Kakashi's going to do most of the work while she directs him from atop the island counter, which has inevitably become the norm. He may be angsty and brooding, but he follows orders ̶even when they pertain to mundane shit like cooking ̶with a rigid fervour.

He grunts in confusion. "Outside the village?" She hums. "During wartime?" She hums again. "Did you forget that you're currently four?"

"Semantics," she returns, patting his head. "You seem to think that I'd be going on this trip by myself." There's already a person that she has in mind to accompany her, and he's very much likely to say yes since he's as much of a shit stirrer as she is.

Kakashi turns left, the Uchiha-Ikisudama District in view ahead of them. The walls are rather imposing even from this distance since previous generations decorated them with stylised fans and spirits. It makes them seem like Yakuza or something since other clans aren't as bold with their aesthetics.

"Why are you even going on a trip in the first place?"

"It'd piss off a friend," Kuroki answers as she rests her cheek on his head. Very soft. He twitches. "I think I'll go visit Iwagakure. I'm curious about the devastation Madara did to it. I also have another friend there, so I'll see what they're up to."

She can sense him frowning before he asks, "Will they recognise you?"

"They should." After a second of thought, she adds, "The person they're inside of won't, though."

"What."

"The person they're inside of won't recognise me," she repeats. He doesn't appreciate it. "I think I'll stop by Amegakure and Kusagakure on my way there." She's not sure what she'll do in Ame, but it's possible that Zetsu might be trying to fuck with Akatsuki already. It might be fun if her mere existence ruins his plans. As for Kusa, though, she'll probably say hi to Kokumatsu. "Want me to ask your mother for anything when I visit her? Assuming she's still alive."

Caught off-guard, Kakashi actually pauses in the middle of the street. Kuroki yawns, blowing away the hair that gets in her mouth. She's starting to get an urge for candy floss.

He forces himself to resume walking. "You're not taking me?" is what he asks instead of irritably muttering that he doesn't need anything from a stranger. Poor dude. Her existence is throwing everything out of whack and he's desperately trying to figure out her place in his life with little success.

Kuroki starts to play with his right ear before she replies, "It's wartime. You're needed on the battlefield."

"And whoever you're taking isn't?" Kakashi retorts, sharper than he likely intends. He tilts his head about in an attempt to get her hand away from his ear since she'd be able to feel it warming up with his embarrassment. Cute. Sakumo's ears would get red when he was shy, too.

She lets go, shifting so that she's resting her chin on her hands. Kakashi's hair is still obscuring her view, but she doesn't mind it.

"Well, he'd have an easier time coming up with excuses for impromptu excursions than you would, don't you think?"

Kakashi doesn't reply. She thinks he's sulking.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> There's going to be some vague crack energy sprinkled about this story, I feel. Kuroki doesn't really take things seriously enough not to fuck around and I like seeing baby Kakashi questioning his life decisions.
> 
> Reviews are love. Reviews are life. It's never ogre. Thank you for reading.


End file.
